Cooking Lumpiang Shanghai

This is my first attempt of cooking lumpiang shanghai. I'd like to share with you how I did it.

It's a bit challenging but it's all worth it! I'm telling you, it smelled really good and tasted even better! ...Truly!!

Now, who doesn't enjoy a crisp piece of lumpiang shanghai? I bet not only kids love this fun treat; but the oldies too. Lumpiang shanghai (also known as spring rolls) is obviously a Chinese-inspired dish. It's a regular mainstay in big gatherings back home, in the Philippines. Funny how the smell of spring rolls reminds me of the fiestas, birthdays and other special occasions back when I was young-er.

Cooking lumpiang shanghai takes time to cook, though. There are a number of ingredients; and there's the nitty-gritty task of wrapping the filling to a roll. I know now why we don't have these often; or why we tend to buy them cooked rather than making them.

In this experience, I learned that in cooking lumpiang shanghai, it's good to make a lot of them in one batch. Cook what lumpiang shanghai you can eat for a meal; and freeze the rest of the rolls for another day. Makes a lot of sense when you do this recipe, I swear!

Quick tip: You may need to taste the mixture to determine if you need to add salt or fish sauce into the dish.

Making the rolls

4. Get a piece of spring roll wrap and place half spoon on the center.
5. Fold both sides to enclose the meat fillings.
6. Roll the meat up until you reach the other end of the wrap.
7. To seal the wrap, moisten it with a damp of water using your fingers.
8. Set aside.
9. Do steps 4-8 until you finish all the rolls.

Cooking lumpiang shanghai rolls

10. Heat up your wok or a deep pan with cooking oil.
11.When the oil is ready, deep-fry the spring rolls by placing them one by one onto the pan.

Quick tips:

1. Avoid placing them too close to each other so prevent sticking.

2. Put the pan under medium heat to allow the pork to cook while not burning the wrapper.

12. When the lumpiang shanghai turns brown or golden, remove from pan.
13. Allow them to drain. Do not place them directly unto a plate to create a crispy and not soggy roll.
14. Serve with sweet chili sauce.
15. Place the excess rolls in a dry container for freezing. (Similar to what we did in cooking pork tapa.)